Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC won’t add Sora for a shocking reason, insider reveals

Sorry Kingdom Hearts fans. Not only is Sora kind of dead after the events of Kingdom Hearts III, but it looks like he won't even get a chance to pummel Mario with his Keyblade in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate either. Amid loads of fan speculation about what characters might be included in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass 2, a Nintendo insider has seemingly confirmed a major roadblock to adding Sora to the game.

The protagonist of the Square Enix series has long been rumored as a top contender for Smash Bros. Ultimate's DLC, and he's one of the most most requested additions to the fighting game worldwide. But Disney, which owns the rights to the KH series, reportedly turned down Nintendo’s offer to let Sora join the roster.

Imran Khan, former Senior Editor at Game Informer and co-host of the Kinda Funny Gamescast, claimed to have insider knowledge of a conversation that allegedly went on between Nintendo and Disney Japan. When asked by co-host Blessing Adeoye Jr. during the January 23 episode of the podcast about what is stopping Nintendo from adding Sora to Smash Bros., Khan off-handedly dropped a juicy bit of information at the 28:24 mark of the video.

“They absolutely approached Disney about it once,” he said. “Disney Japan, specifically, [is keeping Sora from being in Smash.]”

Khan didn’t elaborate on how he came across this information, but he has a history of being plugged into inner circles at Nintendo and other game companies. He’s been the source of past Nintendo Switch title rumors and chatter about a potential Marvel’s Spider-Man PlayStation sequel.

His most recent claim about Sora never making it to Smash Ultimate was vaguer than his previous statements, but if it’s accurate, then the hero of KH sadly won’t be featured in this installment of Smash Bros. at all.

During the same Nintendo Direct where Byleth was announced in January 2020, game director Masahiro Sakurai confirmed that all six of the Fighters Pass 2 characters have already been decided. Smash Bros. Ultimate’s next DLC bundle is already set in stone and can’t be changed.

"The new additions have already been decided," Sakurai said. "Even if I receive many requests regarding potential candidates on Twitter, I'm afraid it would be very hard to consider them. But I still hope you'll look forward to it."

So if Nintendo and Disney still haven’t already reached an agreement about including Sora, then there's zero chance he's in the current pass.

It appears that Sora may have missed the Smash Bros. Ultimate train completely, but there are plenty of other exciting first-party and third-party prospects that could make up the next batch of DLC fighters. All six new characters that will be included in Fighters Pass 2 are scheduled to be released by December 31, 2021 so the next two years will include a steady stream of Smash Bros. Ultimate hype.

The Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass 2 is available for purchase in the Nintendo eShop.